The authors further showed that the GDF15 regimen altered food preferences in mice -- leading the animals to opt for lower calorie chow when offered a choice between standard food and an extra-rich condensed-milk diet.

The authors determined that GDF15 activated a population of nerve cells called AP neurons that make up a portion of the gut-brain axis, yet note that further studies to identify the protein's cellular receptor are needed as potential therapeutics make their way to the clinic.